All hands were on deck for the grand opening of Athabasca University's $30 million academic and research centre.
The 53,800 square foot open-concept building played host to a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony on July 29 which featured, among others, Premier Ed Stelmach, Athabasca-Redwater MLA Jeff Johnson, federal MP Brian Jean, community and university leaders, as well as those involved with the design and construction of the facility.
Athabasca University president, Dr. Frits Pannekoek, explained that the new facility allows university staff now scattered across Athabasca to have their own offices on campus.
The investment in bricks and mortar will also hopefully attract senior scholars to increase research capacity of the school, he added.
"This building will mean that the growth of the university will happen in Athabasca, " he said, adding the extra space will give the university an opportunity to accept and display more historical artifacts, for both researchers and the public.
The grand unveiling opened with a self-guided tour of the open-air three-level building. The pronounced use of glass that allows natural light to shine through emphasized the open feeling.
Vivian Manasc, the principal architect behind the design of the building, explained the concept.
"This building was inspired by the Boreal forest, the river close by and the natural beauty all around this place, " she said.
The building (which was designed in September of 2007 after Alberta's Ministry of Advanced Education and Technology granted the university $30 million) was three years in the making after construction began in the fall of 2008.
The president of the company behind the project, Chandos Construction Ltd's Tom Redl, said that he has built a lot of buildings, but this one stood out.
"These buildings that stand out speak, they say something and are an expression of the people behind them, " he said.
This one, he explained, spoke of advancement, collaboration, respect, and sustainability.
One of the goals of the design was to receive gold standard for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. The facility also features a newly planted community garden growing potatoes and corn and a hitching post for staff who want to ride horses to work.
The ceremony began with an opening speech by Maria Campbell, AU's Elder in Virtual Residence of the Centre for World Indigenous Knowledge and Research, where she spoke of the historical roots of Athabasca and what the facility will mean for the future.
"With this building, Athabasca University defines and strengthens their relationship with our people, " she said.
One of the features of the new buildings is a round room that will host traditional ceremonies and meetings.
Campbell added that AU was following a "longstanding tradition " of Athabasca being a starting place for those looking for a better future, paralleling it with the fur trade of years past.
Guests then took in the sounds of Lubicon Lake First Nation drummer and singer Douglas Auger.
Athabasca Mayor Roger Morrill and County Reeve David Yurdiga followed up with thanks to the university, emphasizing both the economic and social impact the facility will have on the region.
Manasc and Redl went next, followed by AU's senior capital projects manager Wayne Ferguson, the liaison between construction efforts and the university.
"This is more than a building; in some ways it's a real breathing entity, " he said.
He recognized the workers involved with the project before introducing a 90 second time-lapse video that showed the building's entire three-year construction.
MLA Jeff Johnson was up next.
"This building is just another fantastic step for AU, " he said after explaining how the project gained momentum through the work of the advocacy group he was a part of.
He said that the group had real concerns of departments and staff leaving Athabasca because of lack of space.
"We're very proud and very happy with the mandate of putting Athabasca back into Athabasca University, " he said.
Premier Stelmach followed, underscoring the impact current investments in knowledge-based infrastructure will have forty of fifty years down the line.
"It's not just about providing funding support, it's also about providing research training opportunities for students so that they can apply their ideas and expertise and help solve real world problems, and I know AU will continue the strong tradition of research that will put us on the global stage, " he said.
Minister of Culture and Community Spirit Lindsay Blackett followed Stelmach's speech with a surprise announcement of a $21,000 grant from the Community Initiatives Program, to serve as seed money for an AU online collaboration with the government of Nepal.
The ceremony closed with the ribbon cutting, with the honours going to Frank Appleby, the PC MLA who pushed heavily for founding of the university in town.
